Botanical Nutrition

If you work in the natural products industry, you may have mixed feelings about TV personality Dr Oz.  I personally am thankful for the attention he has brought to nutritional supplements, but I often find myself forced to take issue with his seemingly infinite wisdom. (One 400 mg capsule of Moringa? Would you eat 400 mg of Spinach? But, I digress…)

The latest from Dr Oz may truly shock you and make the late Rachel Carson roll over in her grave.  While seemingly all of the civilized world has come out against GMOs (and Monsanto in particular), Dr Oz has chosen to speak out in favor of genetically-modified organisms, saying they are the same as Organic.  See his comments here.

Meanwhile the nation of Peru has recently passed a 10 year ban on GMOs. For further reference, here is a list of countries that have banned GMOs unlike the United States which has inexplicably sided with the interests of big business rather than the interests of the general health of the American people.

In fact, the lack of required GMO labeling in the US lends a lot of credibility to the Organic movement.  At least someone is required to demonstrate that their food has not been genetically-modified, if only the growers and processors of Organic food.

I will say this; while I respect the right of others to disagree or to believe that genetic modifications to food are not harmful, I hope that Dr Oz will be taken to task for his broad statements in favor of GMOs.  One of the largest arguments against GMOs is that there is VERY LITTLE research into what their actual effects on the human body are.

For 8 other reasons to avoid GMOs catch the foodie buzz at Organic Authority.